


in mountains made of ash

by esprityror



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Edom Angst, M/M, Tumblr Prompt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-04
Updated: 2019-04-04
Packaged: 2020-01-04 21:18:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,310
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18351896
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/esprityror/pseuds/esprityror
Summary: Prompt 6: “Don’t you die on me.” and 22: “I can’t do this without you.”Above him the sky cracked, flashes of lightning illuminating the thick dark clouds against the burnt orange sky. Beneath the clouds were swarms of wraith demons, Edomi feeding off the lightning energy and screaming back at the sky when the thunder roared above them.But Alec didn’t care, paying no heed to the threat above and instead scanning the area around him, only one thought on his mind. Magnus.





	in mountains made of ash

The wind was whipping around his face, fierce and threatening almost as if it was trying to stop him from going any further. Particles of dirt and ash were clinging to his skin, stinging his eyes, making his lungs feel like they were on fire, each and every one of them swirling round him and whispering in his ear “ _turn back, turn back_.”

Alec coughed against the wind and pulled the scarf shielding his face further up over his nose and mouth. Above him the sky cracked, flashes of lightning illuminating the thick dark clouds against the burnt orange sky. Beneath the clouds were swarms of wraith demons, Edomi feeding off the lightning energy and screaming back at the sky when the thunder roared above them.

But Alec didn’t care, paying no heed to the threat above and instead scanning the area around him, only one thought on his mind. Magnus.

Three days. It had taken three days for Alec to finally be able to find a way to Edom. Three days since Magnus had been taken. They had been the longest three days of Alec’s entire life.

This was his fault. Magnus had been in so much pain, and Alec had been too selfish to see how much he was suffering before he took on Lorenzo’s magic. And after well… ever since Magnus had woken up after they had to take Lorenzo’s magic away, he hadn’t been right. He became more closed off, spent more time in bed even if he wasn’t always sleeping; they argued and he started drinking more and more. Seeing the man that he loved depressed, beaten down, living without any hope, Alec couldn’t bare it.

He could’ve prevented it. If he could’ve found another way to break Jace free from Lilith’s curse, or even had the guts to kill him, it would’ve prevented all this. But he knew that Magnus would’ve never let him go through with killing his own parabatai and that’s what hurt. That Magnus sacrificed such a huge and important part of himself just so that Alec wouldn’t have to.

So Alec did something reckless and stupid, to help save the man that had become his entire world. He had summoned Magnus’ father.

Late one night, he took the Malachi confederation from the armoury and left by himself, went down to an abandoned warehouse far away from both the Institute and Magnus’ loft and summoned Asmodeus, Prince of Hell.

“Shadowhunter,” Asmodeus had said, a slight tone of surprise in his voice. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”

“Help him,” was all Alec replied. “You have to help him.”

Asmodeus sighed and glanced at the ground disinterestedly, tracing the lines of the pentagram with the end of his cane.

“Help who?” he asked in a bored voice.

“Magnus,” Alec replied, cursing the slight wobble in his voice as he said his name. “Magnus. You have to give him his magic back.”

Asmodeus looked up at Alec in surprise before a cruel smile crept in across his face.

“Well, well,” he said. “Looks like my boy has been busy… fraternizing with _Shadowhunters_.” The word ‘ _Shadowhunters’_ rolled off his tongue with a great amount of disgust. “I would’ve hoped that he would have felt himself above that.”

Alec felt a surge of anger grow inside of him.

“That has nothing to do with this,” he snapped, managing to sound a lot braver than he was feeling. “That doesn’t matter, none of that matters. What matters is that your ‘ _chosen son’_ nearly died because of this. What matters is that he can’t live like this, he can’t live without his powers.”

A dark look crossed over Asmodeus face.

“He knew what he was doing,” he snarled. “I first gave him the option to come rule beside me but he refused. He felt that the loss of his powers would be more favourable. He made his choice, now he has to live with it.”

Alec swallowed, his heart racing in his chest.

“Please,” he said. “If you can give Magnus his magic back, what do you want in return?”

The way Asmodeus looked at Alec then made his blood run cold.

“Hmm, we shall see Shadowhunter, I’m sure you will find out in due time.”

“What-” Alec started, his heart dropping, fear coursing through him.

Asmodeous shot out his hand and pointed it at one of the swords holding him at bay. Sparks shot out everywhere and Alec had to turn and shield his eyes.

The sparks faded and Asmodeus had vanished, leaving Alec alone in the dark, feeling sick to his stomach.

He returned home, guilt and fear tearing its way through his entire body, desperately trying to convince himself that a deal hadn’t been made. He would track down and find Asmodeus if it was the last he’d do.

Two days later he was forced to watch, powerless, as the love of his life was torn from him and dragged to a dimension of hell. And it was entirely his fault.

Now, as Alec dragged his feet across the burnt fields of Edom, he was nothing but determined. This was his fault and he would stop at nothing to fix it. To get Magnus back, to save him.

Because, by the angel he had to save him. He would never be able to live with himself if he couldn’t. But right now that wasn’t even an option Alec wasn’t even considering. He was saving Magnus or he would die trying.

Then out of the darkness Alec could make out the shape of a building looming on the horizon. His breath hitched in his throat. Surely that is where Magnus would be? He picked up his pace, running towards it against the wind as it howled and wailed, lashing harder and harder at his skin, the entire atmosphere now screaming at him “ _TURN BACK! TURN BACK!”_

Alec pushed on; nothing was coming between them now, not even all the forces of hell. As he reached the run down building he tried to ignore how the wind was getting fiercer, the thunder getting louder, the lightning brighter and the screams of the Edomi above becoming more and more piercing.

He reached the building and stepped down through a door way, stepping round the rubble that littered the ground. Large parts of the roof were missing and the walls were crumbling down, vines wrapping around them as if they were strangling them. It was all eerily illuminated by small candles littered around the place, lighting the way down a large corridor that winded its way around a corner leaving Alec unable to see where it would lead.

He took a deep breath and made his way down the corridor, bow and quiver in hand, seraph blade at his thigh. His other hand in his pocket, curled around a small vial of amber liquid, gifted to him by Catarina before he left.

_“If the moment comes, break this and say the words ‘victi aut magicae’” she had said to him, tiredness and worry set deep in her expression. “It should temporarily weaken Asmodeus’ power, it won’t last long but it should be enough for you to be able to pierce his core like you did with Azazel. That will give you enough time for you and Magnus back to the portal but Alec… the timing of how long it weakens his power for isn’t always accurate and I don’t know the effects of using it to diminish their powers while actually in their realm so… don’t use it unless you absolutely have to.”_

_Alec nodded, taking the vial from her hand._

_“Thank you.” He said quietly._

_He turned and stepped into the pentagram, flames began to rise around his feet and he winced in pain._

_“Alec.”_

_He turned and looked back at Catarina through the flames._

_“Bring him back safe.”_

_He locked eyes with her and nodded, the both of them knowing that nothing would stop him from doing that, before blinding pain seared through his whole body and all he could hear were his own screams._

Thinking now about how Magnus endured through that pain just to confront his father who’d abused him, and then have his magic stripped away made Alec feel hollow.

Alec pushed those thoughts to the back of his mind, bringing forward just one, _‘save Magnus.’_

That’s all that mattered right now.

The corridor twisted around one final corner and at the end Alec could see a light. Flickering, golden light and the whooshing sound of power, pure magic energy being generated in some way. Alec cautiously made his way towards it and slowly stepped through the doorway where the light was coming from. The scene that met his eyes made the air from his lungs stop short in his throat.

In the centre of the room was Magnus, suspended in the air from the force of the power that Asmodeus was pummelling into his body. Magnus was writhing in pain, but no noise was coming from his mouth. Aside from the noise of the magic, it was strangely silent.

Finally regaining the ability to breathe, Alec heart took over his mind and found he was unable to stop himself from shouting out-

“MAGNUS!”

At the sound of his voice, Asmodeus startled and swiftly turned to where Alec was standing; causing him to break off the force that had been surging into Magnus’ and his body fell to the floor, unmoving.

“No!”

Alec couldn’t help himself but call out again and he darted forward towards where his boyfriend lay. He barely got two metres closer before Asmodeus lifted a hand and Alec suddenly found himself unable to move, trapped within the grasp of a Prince of Hell.

Finally tearing his eyes away from Magnus, he moved his eyes to face Asmodeus, flinching when he saw his cat eyes, cruel and cold. He had the most sickening smile on his face and began slowly walking towards him and Alec felt a momentarily jolt of fear run through his body.

“Shadowhunter,” Asmodeus said, the word rolling off his tongue. “I have to say you’ve surprised me, risking your life for… a warlock. I see you’ve clearly evolved as a species since I last crossed paths with your kind.”

Alec said nothing, his gaze not breaking from Asmodeus’, not daring to show any kind of weakness.

Asmodeus let out a small “hmm” and began to circle round Alec, his eyes raking over his body with curiosity. It felt like he was trying to see right into Alec’s soul.

“I suppose I see why my son took an interest in you,” he continued, almost sounding bored. “He does have a type…”

Alec gritted his teeth, his entire body on edge.

“What did you do to him?” he asked bluntly.

Asmodeus circled back round to face Alec from the front. He smiled again.

“We made a deal, did we not?”

“We did not,” Alec almost yelled. “I asked for your price and you escaped, how did you even overpower-“

“That little box you put me in?” Asmodeus interrupted. “Well you see Shadowhunter, my son gave me his power, and you see he was more powerful than you could’ve ever imagined. With his added power, it was merely a flick of the wrist. His power gave me enough strength to bind and lock away Lilith; a little box made by a Shadowhunter was certainly no match. As for our deal, surely you should have known when I took him that the price was my son himself. I told you I gave him two options, come rule beside me or give up his magic. And seeing as the option he took was so undesirable for him, when you came begging I merely took that as all the incentive I need to change my son’s deal to my original offer. So thank you, Shadowhunter, for your price.”

Alec didn’t say anything, trying to process what he had just heard.

“No…” he breathed out, emotion in his voice clear now. “No I never made that deal; I would’ve never made that deal!”

Asmodeus rolled his eyes but a darker expression was creeping onto his face.

“You bore me Shadowhunter,” he snarled. “You have no power here; you’re merely an ant getting in my way. What did you honestly expect to achieve from this? That you’d come and save him? Take him home? I have to laugh; the only thing that you’ve achieved here is a mere signing of your own death warrant.”

Alec’s eyes drifted back to where Magnus was lying in the dirt, eyes shut, completely still and his heart shattered. A tear fell down his cheek and he let out a shaken gasp.

“I’m so sorry Magnus,” he whispered, so quietly Alec could barely hear it himself. “Forgive me.”

He turned back to Asmodeus who was watching him with an amused smirk on his face.

“So be it,” he said. “Kill me.”

A flicker of surprise crossed Asmodeus’ face.

“Playing the martyr are we now? How pathetic.”

Alec shook his head.

“No, I’m the reason that Magnus is here, I’m the reason he gave up his magic in the first place, I am the reason that Magnus is suffering. He’s suffering because of me. And I knew that I was going to save Magnus whatever it the cost even if it killed me, so if I can’t-”

Alec looked back to Magnus.

“Then you may as well just kill me. Just let him go.”

He heard Asmodeus sigh from behind him.

“I asked you for your price, you didn’t give me one, but I’m giving you one now. Save Magnus. Kill me.”

Asmodeus fixed him with a steely glare, then suddenly snapped his fingers and Alec fell forwards landing hard on the burnt ground.

“I have to say your love for my son is not what I expected. I clearly underestimated it otherwise, well let’s be honest you wouldn’t be here for him.”

Alec felt anger grow in his stomach as he picked himself up off the ground.

“Why?!” he yelled. “Do you really think that your son is incapable of being loved?! Magnus is the most amazing person I have ever met, he deserves so much more than what his long life has given him! And you- you claim you love him, your ‘ _chosen son’_ when you have done nothing-”

A great force suddenly flung him backwards, sending him crashing into the wall.

“HOW DARE YOU!” screamed Asmodeus. “I AM A PRINCE OF HELL AND YOU ARE NOTHING! WHAT IS A NEPHILIM TO ME? WHAT GIVES YOU THE RIGHT TO SPEAK TO ME LIKE THAT?!”

Alec coughed, pushing away the rubble that had fallen onto him and rose to his feet.

Asmodeus stood before him seething with rage, the storm outside raging harder and harder, almost deafening.

Alec looked Asmodeus dead in the eye.

“I am the man that loves your son,” he said stepping forwards. “That gives me every right.”

Asmodeus stared at him, disbelief clear on his face but Alec didn’t take a moment to savour it. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out the vial and dropped it to the ground

“ _VICTI AUT MAGICAE_!”

The command tore out of his throat and he crushed the vial beneath his foot.

“NO!” Asmodeus screamed before doubling over in pain. “What have you done?!”

Alec didn’t reply, drawing his bow.

“What I had to,” he replied coldly, and let loose the arrow.

Asmodeus’ screams drowned out the sound of the storm, and his body began to crack, fire consuming him from the inside. He looked to Alec one last time, cat eyes glowing, and then he was nothing more than an explosion of power.

Alec flung himself away from the blast and ran over to where Magnus lay, acutely aware that the screeches of the Edomi were getting closer.

“Magnus!” he knelt down next to him and clutched Magnus’ face between his hands. “Magnus can you hear me?”

He pressed his fingers to Magnus’ neck, but felt no pulse there.

“Oh God no,” he breathed out in horror, the all too fresh memory of Magnus collapsed on Alec’s office floor sitting too far forward in his mind.

“Come on Magnus; don’t do this to me, not again.”

He began pressing up and down on Magnus’ chest, Catarina’s voice ringing out in his head from that dreadful day in the infirmary.

_…he may not survive. …he may not survive. …he may not survive._

“Magnus come on! Don’t you die on me!” Alec sobbed out. He checked Magnus’ pulse again. Still nothing.

Alec let out a shaky breath and his tears fell down and landed on Magnus’s face.

“Please Magnus you have to work with me I can’t do this without you.”

_…he may not survive._

“Please don’t leave me.”

_…he may not survive._

“I can’t live without you Magnus, please!”

_…he may not survive._

After what seemed like an eternity and one final beat to his chest, the smallest of breaths escaped out of Magnus’ mouth.

Alec let out a strangled cry of relief and pressed his ear to Magnus’ chest. A heartbeat and short shallow breathing answered him.

“Oh thank the angel…” Alec breathed out pressing a kiss to Magnus’ forehead and pulling his body into his lap holding him close.

Finally able to calm his breathing, he became aware of his surroundings once again, the demons flocking around the building in growing numbers, the remains of Asmodeus’ power still sparking in an angry ball of flame. He had to get Magnus out of here.

No sooner than he thought that, a piercing scream caused him to tear his gaze away from Magnus only to see a wraith demon barrelling its way directly towards them.

“Shit,” he breathed out.

He carefully moved Magnus to the side and grabbed his bow, shooting an arrow directly at the demon, cursing again as the arrow pierced it but instantly caused the demon to split into smaller ones. They screeched and chittered making their way to where Magnus lay.

Alec drew his seraph blade and slaughtered each of them before they could touch him. The commotion had drawn attention to them and more and more Edomi started diving down towards them.

“Shit! Shit! Shit!” Alec cursed. He had to get Magnus out of there. Now.

He began frantically looking for anything that would help him fend off the demons. There was nothing, the pentagram out of there was miles away and the Edomi kept coming.

The remains of Asmodeus’ magic seemed to be getting angrier, shooting out sparks, the ball of energy getting bigger and brighter by the second.

Fear was coursing through Alec now. He was one man with only dozen arrows and seraph blade against an army of wraith demons and the magic of a greater demon threatening to consume everything in its path.

He had to protect Magnus, if nothing else. He drew another arrow and turned to head back to where Magnus lay but before he could take a step, Asmodeus’ magic shot out heading straight towards Magnus and leaving a wall of flames blocking the path between them.

“NO! Magnus!”

Alec watched in pure horror as the power crashed into Magnus’ body, suspending him into the air. It was blinding but Alec couldn’t tear his eyes away, at a loss of what to do. Magnus’ body was glowing, sparking and crackling with energy and then suddenly as quickly as it had happened, it was gone.

Magnus’ eyes snapped open.

Alec felt all the air leave his lungs as he stared into the eyes of the man he loved. And familiar glowing cat eyes stared back.

Before Alec could move, breathe, do anything; the screeches of the wraith demons were upon them. Magnus raised a hand and out of his fingertips poured magic. Not the blood red of Asmodeus’. Not the sickening yellow of Lorenzo’s. But the familiar fiery orange of Magnus’ defence magic. Above their heads the closest wraith demons simply disintegrated, raining ash down on them.

Magnus swirled his arms around creating a blazing ball of magic. Alec watched in amazement as it grew and Magnus shot it into the air with the familiar movements that Alec didn’t realise he had missed so much.

“BE GONE!” Magnus thundered, his voice reaching up and up, overpowering the sound of the storm and the cried of the Edomi.

There was a flash that lit up the entire sky as his magic hit it and the Edomi dispersed flying away, over the horizon and the storm that had constantly raged for thousands of years died.

Magnus and Alec were left there in the silence, ash falling down around them like snow.

Magnus turned and faced Alec.

“Alexander…” was all he said, his voice gentle, sounding so relieved.

Alec surged forward and crashed into Magnus, pulling him into a hug burying his face in his neck, Magnus’ arms coming round him and holding him tight.

“Magnus…” he sobbed out. “I’m sorry, I'm so, so sorry.”

“Oh Alexander don’t-”

“I thought you were really gone Magnus, Asmodeus he-” another sob cut Alec off and Magnus pulled him round and cradled Alec’s face between his hands.

“Hey,” he said softly. “I’m here now, I’m alright.”

Alec leaned forward and captured Magnus’ lips with his, smiling slightly against them as he felt the familiar thrum of magic under Magnus’ skin.

“Your magic,” he whispered. “It’s back, it’s yours.”

He leaned back to look at Magnus and smiled.

“I can feel it.”

Magnus smiled back.

“I know,” he breathed out. “It feels… amazing.”

He looked away from Alec and took in their surroundings.

“My father… what happened?” he asked concern in his voice.

“I, er… I killed him. I think.”

Magnus snapped his head back to look at Alec.

“What?!” he asked in disbelief. “How?!”

“Catarina gave me this potion and the ‘ _victi aut magicae’_ spell.”

Magnus gasped. “Alec that spell is incredibly dangerous and unpredictable especially in these circumstances, you had no idea what would happen!”

“I know,” Alec admitted. “But it worked; I was able to pierce his demonic core like I did with Azazel, I wasn’t sure if it would kill him or just banish him when he was already in Edom, but seeing as your magic was transferred back to you I’m assuming he died. It worked Magnus.”

Magnus shook his head, “It was still such a great risk Alec. If it hadn’t-”

“If it hadn’t worked, it would still have been worth the shot Magnus. It was the only way, there is no way I couldn’t have not tried it. It was worth the risk. I’ll always protect you no matter what… even if it kills me.”

Alec reached his hand out to cup Magnus’ cheek, gently caressing it with his thumb; Magnus stared back into Alec’s eyes.

“I would risk it all again for you Magnus. I’d risk anything and everything for you; you’re worth absolutely everything to me. It was the least I could do after everything you’ve done – everything you’ve gone through - for me.”

Magnus closed his eyes and brought his hand up to meet Alec’s before turning and pressing the lightest of kisses to Alec’s palm.

“Oh Alexander…” he said softly, pressing his forehead against Alec’s. “Can’t you see that I did everything I did because you’re everything to me too?”

Alec closed his eyes, pressing their heads closer together, taking in just all of _Magnus_. Magnus was here, he was alive, he was safe, and he had his magic back. He was _everything_.

“I love you,” murmured Alec. “So much I can barely contain it.”

“I love you too,” Magnus whispered back. “So much Alexander. So, so much.”

Alec reached down and took Magnus’ hand, threading their fingers together.

“So,” he said. “You… told those demons to go, and they went… how? What does that mean now?”

Magnus took a deep breath and looked back to the horizon where the Edomi disappeared to, his gaze then drifting down to the scorch mark on the ground where Asmodeus had stood.

“Asmodeus is dead.” He said simply. “And I am his only son… and heir.”

Alec’s breath hitched in his throat.

“Does that mean…”

“Yes,” Magnus replied looking back at Alec. “I believe that I am the ruler of the realm now Alexander.”

Alec dropped his hand and gaped at him, trying to process what that meant.

“Well… what are you gonna do with it?” he asked, dumbfounded.

“Oh you know, a lick of paint should spruce things up nicely, then I’ll put it on the retail market, I’m hearing that dimensions of hell are all the rage at the moment, I’m sure we’ll easily find a buyer.”

Alec let out a laugh, something he hadn’t done for many days and dropped his head onto Magnus’ shoulder.

“Oh come on Magnus,” he chuckled against it.

He heard Magnus chuckle as well and he ran his hand through Alec’s hair.

“No…” he said, “I’ll seal it off, properly. No one will ever be able to return, but most importantly, nothing will ever be able to get out. It should certainly make things an awful lot easier for you Shadowhunters.”

“A whole species of demon to not have to deal with would certainly make things easier,” Alec murmured in reply, bringing his head back up to look Magnus in the eye. “But I think we could both do with a drink first before you go using that sort of power, you need to rest you’ve been through a lot.”

Magnus smiled at him.

“My Alexander… always the protector,” he reached up and pressed a chaste kiss to Alec’s lips. He curled his hand around Alec’s once more, clasping it tightly, not wanting to let go.

“Let’s go home.”

**Author's Note:**

> so this turned out about 3k words longer than i originally planned but i apparently felt the need to keep on adding more angst ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯
> 
> anyway hope you enjoyed this, kudos and comments always appreciated :)
> 
> find me on tumblr @ magnusalxander
> 
> also btw the latin is supposed to just mean "vanquish magic/power" but it's only as accurate a google translate


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